Switch operating mechanism for cars



(No Model.) 2 ShetsSheet l.

J. LAMONTAGNE.

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CARS.

No. 591,233. Eatented Oct. 5,1897.

I J F l E 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

JyLAMoNTAGNE. SWITCH OPERATING MECHANI$M FOR CARS.

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Patented Oct. 5,

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JOSEPH LAMONTAGNE, OF NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDSTO ARTHUR J. LAMONTAGNE AND AVON O. MATTHEWS,

OF SAME PLACE.

SWITCHJJPERATING MECHANISM FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,233, dated October5, 1897.

Application filed April 26, 1897.

To all whom it may concern! 1 Be it known that I, JOSEPH LAMONTAGNE, asubject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Northampton,in thecounty of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, have inventedcertainsnew and useful Improvements in Switch-Operating Mechanism forCars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a switch-operating IO mechanism for cars ormechanism for operating or moving the switch where the rails of onetrack leadinto or connect with the rails of another track; and theobject of my in vention is to provide a switch-operating mechanismadapted to be combined with the car, and more particularly with astreet-car, which .may be operated by the motorman or driver a of thecar to move or throw the switch as the car approaches and cause. the carto travel on one track or the other, as desired.

. My invention consists in certain novel features of construction of myswitch-operating mechanism applied to a car, as will be here inafterfully described. Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows one end of acar with'my switch-operating mechanism combined therewith. The mechanism is shown in its inoperative position. Fig. 2 shows theswitch-operating mechanism 0 shown in Fig. 1 in its operative position.Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3 3, Fig. 1, looking in thedirection of arrow Ct, same figure. Fig. 4. is a plan View of the end ofthe platform detached, looking in the direction 3 5 of arrow at, Fig. 1.Fig. 5 shows one rail of a track and a pivoted switch of ordinary con:.struction and a second rail leading off from the switch portion of thetrack. The switch is shown in position to cause the car to travel on themain rail. Fig. 6 corresponds to Fig. 5, but the switch is shown in theopposite .position to cause the car to travel on the side rail. Fig. 7corresponds to Fig. 5, but shows my switch-operating device in theopposite position. Fig. Sis a detached portion of the switch-operatingmechanism, looking in the direction of arrow 1), Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is apartial sectional View of the switch-operating mechanism shown in Figs.1 and 2. Fig. 10

is a section on line 10 10, Fig. 9, looking in ing the switch. Fig. 12is a modified Serial No. 634,039. (No model.)

the direction of arrow 0, same figure. Fig.

11 is a bottom view of the device forengagconstruction of the horizontalbars shown in Fig. i 9; and Fig. 13 is a section on line 13 18, Fig. 12,looking in the direction of arrow d," same figure. Figs. 8 to 13,inclusive, are shown on an enlarged scale.

5 In the accompanying drawings, 1. is one end of a car, in this instanceshown as a streetrailway car, having the platform 2 at one end and thetruck 3 of ordinary construction. My switch-operating mechanism isapplied to the under part of the car, at the end thereof, and consistsof the switch engaging device 4;, which is preferably made of the shapeof a head (shown in the drawings) having one side 4' rounded and theother side 4 formed with a depending lip or flange 42", which is adaptedto extend below the top of the rail when the mechanism is in operation.

The elongated portion of the device 4 is made of angular shape, .asshown in Fig. 11,

or with inclined surfaces to form a sharp or knife edge to pass betweenthe inner face of the rail and the front end of the switch, as shown bydotted lines in Figs. 5 and 6. The switch-engagin g device 4 has a stem5 extending up therefrom, which is secured'in a tube 6 by pins 7 orotherwise. The tube 6 has a vertical reciprocating motion in a secondtube or cylinder 8, which is pivotally supported at its upper end byscrews 9 in the hub or collar 10 on the stand 11, secured to the end ofthe truck 3. The lower end of the tube or cylinder 8 extends looselythrough apollar 12,

secured below the collar 10, and is held in proper position therein, butpermitted to have a slight side motion by two oppositely-arrangedsprings 13, secured at their upper ends o to the tube 8 and extendingthrough the collar 12 and bearing at their lower ends on said tube. (SeeFig. 8.)

In the upper end of the reciprocating tube 6.is secured the lower end ofa rod 14, which 5 is provided with a screw-thread on which is screwedthe hub of a sprocket-wheel 15, which is secured by a set-screw 16. (SeeFig. 9.)

The upper end of the rod 14. extendsthrough aslot in the bar 17, (seeFig. 3,) and a nut 18 i c is screwed onto the end of the rod 14 and [begiven a half-revolution, and through the holds the end of the bar. '17between the sprocket-wheel 15 and a washer 19 below the nut 18 to causethe sprocket-wheel 15, rod 14, tube 6, and switch-engaging device 4 tomove up or down or have a reciprocating motion, according as the end ofthe bar 17 is raised or lowered.

The bar 17 is pivoted at about its middle part in the lower end of abracket 19, secured upon the under side of the car. The other end of thebar 17 is pivotally connected by a pin or screw 20 to the inner end of asecond bar 21, which is also pivotally supported at about its middlepart in the lower end of a bracket 22, secured to the under side of thecar. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) The outer end of the bar 21 is also providedwith a slot, through which extends the lower end of the rod 22, and uponthe lower end of said rod 22 is selcured the sprocket-wheel 23 by aset-screw 24. The upper end of the rod 22 is secured by pins 25 orotherwise within the lower. end of the tube 26, which has a verticalrecipro': eating motion within the cylinder or tube 27, extendingthrough an opening in the platform and secured therein. (See Fig, 9,)

Upon the top of the tube 26.is secured a gear 28. A spiral spring 29encirclesthc tube 26 and extends between the gear 28'and the flangedhead of the cylinder 27. The spring 29 acts to keep the tube 26 in itsraised position, with the rods 21 and 17 straight and in the positionshown in Fig. 1, the switch-engaging device 4 being out of engagementwith the rail.

The motorman or driver by pressing his foot on the gear 28 pushes downthe tube 26 and the outer end of the bar 21 and throws up the inner endof said bar and also the inner end of the bar 17, as shown in Fig. 2,causing the tube 6 to be pushed down, carrying down the switch-engagingdevice 4, which will bear or ride on the rail, and the front edge of theflange 4" will engage and move the switch 35, as shown in Figs. -5, 6,and 7.

The parts above described are duplicated, as shown in Fig. 3, so thatthere will be a switch-engaging device on each side of the car and alsoat each end of the car.

In order to give a half-turn to the switchengaging device 4 to cause itto change from the position shown in Fig. 6, where the switch is movedin'one direction .to cause the car to travel on the side track to theposition shown in Fig. 7, where the switch is moved in the oppositedirection, as shown in Fig. 7, to cause the car to travel on the maintrack, a barrel-gear 30 is arranged between the two gears 28 28 to meshwith each of said gears,

. as shown in Fig. 4, and avertical handle-bar 31 is connected with saidgear 30 to operate the same.' The two sprocket-wheels 23 and 15 areconnected .by a chain 32. (See Figs. 1, 2, and 3.) It will be seen thatby giving a half-revolution to the barrel-gear 30 through the handle-bar31 each of the gears 28 will chain 32 the tube 6, carrying theswitch-engaging device 4,will be given a half-revolution, and theswitch-engaging device 4 will also be given a half-revolution to change1t from the position shown by full lines in F1g. 6 to .the positionshown by full lines in F1 g. 7. By pivoting the bars 17 and 24substantially midway of their lengths their opposite ends will movevertically in unison or the same distance, and the sprocket-wheels 15and 23 willkeep in the same horizontal planerel'atively to each otherand the chain 32 will be prevented from binding or running off of eitherof the wheels. I

border to vary the length of the bars 17 and 21 for different lengths ofcars, I may make each of said bars in two parts adapted to slide on eachother and connected and secured together, after being adjusted, by thestrap or collar 33 and set-screws 34, as shown in Fig. 12.

' The operation of my switch-operating mechanism will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art.

, In the ordinary travel of the ear the switchengaging device 4 will beout of contact with the rail and supported above the rail, as shown inFig. 1. As the car approaches the switch, supposing the switch-engagingdevice 4 to be in the position shown by full lines in Fig. 5 and it isdesired to throw the switch to cause the car to travel on the trackleading off from the main track, the car-operator just before the carreaches the switch presses down with his foot the right-hand gear 28 andcauses, through the intervening connection, the engaging device 4 to bepushed down and engage the rail, with the flanged portion extendingbelow the top of the rail on the outer edge thereof, as shown in Fig. 2.The continued travel of the car causes the front knife-edge of thedevice 4 to pass in between the front or free end of the switch 35 andthe edge of the rail, (see dotted lines, Fig. 5,) and the inclinedportion of the device 4 will move the switch into the position shown inFig. 6 and cause the car to travel 011 the sidetrack. The operator thenremoves his foot and the spring 29 raises the gear 28 and also theengaging device 4, through the intervening connections, out of contactwith the rail. Supposing the engaging device 4 to be in the positionshown in Fig. 5 and the switch 35 in the position shown in Fig. 6 and itis desired to move the switch to cause the car to travel on the maintrack, the operator gives a halfturn to the handle 31, and this, throughintervening connections, as above described, gives a half-turn to thedevice 4 and moves it into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6,so that the knife-edge of said device will pass in between the free endof the switch 35 and the inner edge of the supplemental rail and movethe switch into the position shown in Fig. 7, so that the car willcontinue to travel on the main track. 7

1. The combination, with car, of a tripping device, a vertically movablerotary and a chain for connecting the same, and means for moving theswitch-throwing device,

two devices vertically in unison with each other, substantially as setforth.

2. Thecombination, with a car, of a vertically-movable shaft, means uponthe upper end thereof for rotating the same and moving itlongitudinally, a vertically-movable rotary switch-throwing mechanism,and a chain for connecting said mechanism with the shaft,

substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a car, of a vertically-movable spring-actuatedshaft, each end of which is provided with a wheel, means for engagingwith the upper wheel and rotating the shaft, a vertically-movable rotaryswitch-throwing device, the upper end of which is provided with a wheel,in the same horizontal plane with the wheel upon the lower" end of theshaft, a chain upon said wheels, and'means for moving the wheelsvertically in unison, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a car, of a vertically-movable shaft, a wheelupon each end thereof, a spring between the upper Wheel and the platformof the car, a handle provided with a barrel-wheel in engagement with.

a wheel upon the upper end of the shaft, a vertically-movable rotaryswitching device provided with a wheel, and means for connecting saidwheel with the lower wheel upon the shaft, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a car, of two vertically-movable shafts, theupper end of each of which is provided with a gear-wheel, a handle, thelower end of which is provided with a barrel-gear in engagement withsaid wheels, two vertically-movable switch-throwing devices, and meansfor connecting each of said devices with its respective shaft,substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with a car, of a vertically-movable shaft, asprocket-wheel upon the lower end thereof, a vertically-movable shaft,the lower end of which is provided with a switching device and the upperend is provided with a sprocket-wheel, interlocking bars secured attheir central portions to the car, the opposite ends of said bars beingslotted and engaging with the shafts, and a sprocket-chain uponthesprocket-wheels,sub-

stantially as set forth.

JOSEPH LAMONTAGNE.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. CARPENTER, SIDNEY A. CLARK.

